Buzzwords Poetry Night in Cheltenham: Sunday 2nd September

This Sunday 2nd September
BUZZWORDS
Upstairs at the Beehive, Montpellier Villas, Cheltenham -

7.30pm - workshop led by Duncan Forbes
8.30pm onwards - open mic and Guest poet, Duncan Forbes

Brand-New Poetry at the Poetry Studio, London TONIGHT

City Uni Advanced Poetry Group Reading

Friday 31st August 7.30pm
Poetry Studio, Betterton Street Covent Garden
Free Entrance

2006-07 members of this prestigious and prodigious group will be reading a handful of poems each:

Amy Key
Norbert Hirschhorn
James Goodman
Mark Waldron
Jacqui Saphra
Diana Pooley
Camellia Stafford
Sophie Richmond
Jonathan Attrill
Imogen Robertson
Judy Brown
David Boll
Katrina Naomi
Megan Thompson

Aoife Mannix on TONIGHT in London: 30th August

Book Slam with poet Aoife Mannix

Neighbourhood, 12 Acklam Road, London, W10 5QZ
Thursday 30th August
6.30pm

The latest installment of this regular literary night features poet Aoife Mannix, novelist Hari Kunzru, Basement Jaxx singer Vulu plus DJ Strangely Brown. Hosted by Patrick Neate.

Tickets: £5 in advance / £6 on the door
Visit www.bookslam.com to buy tickets in advance.

"It's the height of Summer and we're the height of fashion - 'pretty much unmissable' coos Time Out. And we are unmissable, aren't we? We serve fine literature and Thai food. Come early, leave late. This month's guests include: -

Hari Kunzru - The bestselling author of 'The Impressionist' and 'Transmission' celebrates the publication of his brand new novel, 'My Revolutions'.
Vula - The Basement Jaxx singer gets, to anglicize the popular American argot, stripped down and acoustic on your arse. Quite.
Aoife Mannix - Aoife's lovely. She's a brilliant poet who's just published her first collection, 'The Elephant In The Corner'. She was also with me on the only occasion I've visited Middlesborough.
Plus, DJ Strangely Brown. He defies description.

Support free thinking and diverse culture. Or stay in and read Harry Potter. Apparently Voldemort did it."

WRITE TO IGNITE: Hackney Festival, September 3rd - 27th

Write to Ignite - Hackney Festival 2007, September 3 - 29

For full listings go to www.writetoignite.co.uk
Further information: info@writetoignite.co.uk
07923 474 196

Write to Ignite, Hackney Word Festival 2007, is a diverse celebration of the word in all its glorious forms from the best of Hackney's word artists. Expect amazing words in strange places and strange words in amazing places - including Hackney City Farm and The Clown Museum.

This year Michael Rosen has been crowned Hackney's Poet Laureate. He will be making many appearances throughout the festival, including the Poetry Street Party on September 7, a family workshop on September 15, and culminating in a performance of specially commissioned poems about Hackney Streets performed in The Round Chapel on September 26.

Throughout Write to Ignite, one street in Hackney will receive a poetic makeover, and be transformed into Poetry Street. Wander down to Chatsworth Road, E5, and expect to see poems where you wouldn't expect them - cafes, shops, homes, waiting rooms, pavements and parks will all be lyrically pampered.



Other highlights include readings, performances, discussions and workshops from John Hegley, Scroobius Pip, Iain Sinclair, Tim Wells, Annie Freud, Simon Munnery, Gwyneth Herbert, Hugo Williams, Baden Prince, Tim Turnbull, Adisa and Stewart Lee and many, many more.


The festival will culminate in an all day event on the 29th September in Hoxton Hall, with stalls featuring independent publishers and alternative magazines, a free Book Swap, readings from local authors, a poetry open mic, and a show that explores contemporary performance poetry as a musical-hall tradition: "The poet aspires to the condition of the music-hall comedian," said T.S. Eliot, and Write to Ignite plan to test that statement!

Three New Shows from Apples & Snakes

Click to enlarge

Two Poetry Events on 29th August: one in Swansea, the other in London

Stars at Elbow and Foot: Echoes of Slavery
National Waterfront Museum, Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 3RD
Wednesday 29th August
6.30pm

Peter Thabit Jones reads a poem-sequence he has written, interspersed with poems by Maya Angelou, Rita Malhotra, and Raymond R. Patterson. Plus several songs about slavery by singer-songwriter Terry Clarke.

Part of the Abolition of Slavery events.

*

Utter #19 - Ajar Mic Grand Final
Salisbury Hotel, 1 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, London N4 1JX
Wednesday 29th August
8pm

Each of the 10 winners of Utter!'s monthly Ajar Mic contests are invited back to perform for 8 minutes each in a Grand Final, competing for a cash prize of £150, courtesy of Word for Word Wood Green writing group. Plus live music from Kunt and the Gang. Hosted by Richard Tyrone Jones.

Free event, with free sweets! (suggested donation £1 or £2).

Poetry for Oxfam on You Tube

Poet John Siddique has asked me to post up this You Tube video, filmed for Oxfam whilst he was doing the Lifelines CD. I don't usually post this sort of thing on Poets on Fire because it's not strictly 'live' poetry. But this is in connection with a charity CD, so I've decided to make an exception.

Enjoy!

Over the Edge in Galway: Thursday August 30th

The popular ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ series returns to Galway City Library after the Summer break on Thursday, August 30th 6.30-8.00pm.

The Featured Readers are Tom Lavelle, Margaret Faherty & Alan Jude Moore. The reading is sponsored by Poetry Ireland.

Tom Lavelle lives in Galway and works as the finance director of a manufacturing company. He began writing poetry quite recently, having attended workshops in the Galway Arts Centre. His work has appeared in West 47 online and The Cuirt Annual. He lives in Galway.

Margaret Faherty has published short stories in literary journals and magazines; she was an award winner for both short fiction and poetry at the Moore Literary Festival. Her work has featured on BBC Radio 4 and on RTE’s Sunday Miscellany and Living Word. She has also been published in the DIVAS! anthology. She lives in Galway.

Alan Jude Moore’s poetry has been widely published in Ireland, Europe and the USA. His fiction has twice been short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Award. His first collection of poetry, Black State Cars, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2004. A selection of poems from Black State Cars was published last year in translation by the Moscow literary journal, Novaya Junost. He currently lives in Dublin.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome.

The evening will also see the announcement of the winner of the Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Click Clack: a new open-mic in Harrogate

Click Clack is a new alternative open-mic night in Yorkshire. It takes place every Monday at The Iron Duke, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, HG2 0N. Entry is FREE and sign-up for performers starts around 8pm.

Anything goes at Click Clack though we do prefer alternative, odd, funny, experimental performance, but this can be in any form : poetry, comedy, music (no drums though!). So all you poets, ranters, comedians, singers, musicians, short film makers, photographers, mime artists, glockenspiel virtuosos, didgeridoo players, artists, ex-darts champions, walrus impersonators, please come down and share your talents with us.

If you'd like a guest spot please get in touch with me via ashleyreaks@hotmail.com or at http://www.myspace.com/clickclackopenmic

Tales from a Paralalia Universe, performed in Oxford: Tuesday September 4th

Tales from a Paralalia Universe

Part road movie, part adventure, mostly poetry, written and performed by David C Johnson and Peter Hunter, with special guest Adriel Luis from the USA.

Radio 4's favourite poets/playwrights treat us to film and performance that documents their first poetry tour of the USA.

When?
Tuesday September 4th 2007
From 6.30pm (see below)

Where's the Venue?
The Vaults and Garden Cafe
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Radcliffe Square
Oxford
Tickets (with dinner) £12
Food served from 6.30 p.m.

To reserve tickets, please email events@hammerandtongue.co.uk or call 01865 200 550

Seam Magazine Launch, Monday 10th September, with poetry readings galore!

You are warmly invited to the launch of Seam 27
on Monday 10 September

Guest:
Sheenagh Pugh

with contributions from
Gill Andrews
Mike Barlow
Pat Borthwick
Ken Champion
John Clegg
Chrissie Gittins
Rebecca Goss
Jane Holland
Allison McVety
Caroline Natzler
Katy Price
Sue Rose
Julian Stannard
Todd Swift
Kearan Williams

Monday 10 September
6.30 pm prompt
The Gallery
Foyles Bookshop
Charing Cross Road
London WC2H 0EB
Nearest Tube: Leicester Square

Entry is free, but please contact seam.magazine@googlemail.com to let us know how many are coming.

Please check the Seam website for updates
www.seampoetry.co.uk

More Poetry Workshops

Poetry Workshops

Making Poetry, Tuesday evenings, 7.00 - 9.00 from 11th September, MAC Birmingham
Poetry combines the technical - rhythm, rhyme, metaphor, poetic forms - with the world as we experience it through our senses. To produce new and original work, we will look for inspiration from objects, pictures, other poets' work, the mac building and much more. There will be guided exercises and time for discussion and reflection, and workshop sessions offering opportunities to share each other's work and ideas. Led by published, prizewinning poet Jacqui Rowe who also hosts Poetry Bites at mac.

It's advisable to book early. Apparently, when booking opened for the autumn courses, the queue went all the way outside and over the bridge (not just for Making Poetry, of course!)

www.jacquirowe.iminbusiness.com

Bristol Folk House Poetry/Performance Workshops

The Bristol Folk House invites you to come along on September 1st from 10am - 4pm to try a selection of taster workshops, meet our tutors, explore the building and generally find out more about what we offer.

PLUS
Book Launch!!

FOLK HOUSE ANTHOLOGY Book Launch is on Weds. 5th Sept. 5.30 - 7.30pm

More details:
www.rosemarydun.co.uk
www.big-mouth-poetry.co.uk
www.myspace.com/rosemary_dun
www.myspace.com/bigmouthpoetry

Blues Bus series: Hilton, Burn & Mitchell

The Blues Bus reading series

Upstairs room at The Lamb, 94 Lamb's Conduit Street, London WC1.

Jeremy Hilton gives a reading of his poetry and Sean Burn and Gareth Mitchell perform poetry and music.

Thursday 30th August 2007.
7.30pm
£5 / £3 conc

Over the Edge & North Beach Nights: Back after the Summer Break!

THURSDAY 30TH AUGUST: OVER THE EDGE IN GALWAY IS BACK!

The popular ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ series returns to Galway City
Library after the Summer break on Thursday, August 30th 6.30-8.00pm. The
Featured Readers are Tom Lavelle, Margaret Faherty & Alan Jude Moore. The
reading is sponsored by Poetry Ireland.

Tom Lavelle lives in Galway and works as the finance director of a
manufacturing company. He began writing poetry quite recently, having
attended workshops in the Galway Arts Centre. His work has appeared in West
47 online and The Cuirt Annual. He lives in Galway.

Margaret Faherty has published short stories in literary journals and
magazines; she was an award winner for both short fiction and poetry at the
Moore Literary Festival. Her work has featured on BBC Radio 4 and on RTE’s
Sunday Miscellany and Living Word. She has also been published in the DIVAS!
anthology. She lives in Galway.

Alan Jude Moore’s poetry has been widely published in Ireland, Europe and
the USA. His fiction has twice been short-listed for the Hennessy Literary
Award. His first collection of poetry, Black State Cars, was published by
Salmon Poetry in 2004. A selection of poems from Black State Cars was
published last year in translation by the Moscow literary journal, Novaya
Junost. He currently lives in Dublin.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New
readers are always welcome.

The evening will also see the announcement of the winner of the Over The
Edge New Writer of The Year competition. The MC for the evening will be
Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.
http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALSO THIS THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST: North Beach Poetry Nights

presents Perciphone Petticoat on Thursday 23rd August at 9pm at BK's
Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway

Perciphone Petticoat theatrical poetry performer, writer, singer songwriter,
musician, is a fresh and entertaining face in the world of performance
poetry and entertainment. She uses enchanting lines, beguiling and palatable
- weaving their way in and out of the cold hard truths being projected. From
surrealism to social dysfunction - sexuality to empathy, fairytales to
self-harm, Perciphone Petticoat often flirts on a rather risqué edge.
However, pertinent subjects delivered graphically, are skillfully tempered,
allowing ideas that would otherwise be unpalatable to be considered.

Her performance sites can be found at
http://www.myspace.com/perciphonepetticoat2.

Her music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/perciphone.

Also The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3
minutes each.The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy
of BK's Winebar and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry
Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd. The prize for the winner of the Grand
Slam is publication of a collection of the winner's poetry.

Thursday 23rd August 9 pm, BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway. Admission 5
Euro

Information: John Walsh @ 091-593290 or johnwa@iolfree.ie

Poejazzi in Edinburgh all this week!

Apples & Snakes

Nationwide performance poetry organiser Apples and Snakes is looking for a new Regional Co-ordinator for the East Midlands. You can find further information by following this link.

Also, if you're looking for ways to improve your performance skills as a live artist, why not try an Apples & Snakes Masterclass?

For full details of venues and booking methods, prices etc, click here.

Rhythm & Muse, Teddington: Thursday 23rd August

Rhythm and Muse

The Lion, Wick Road, Teddington TW11
8.30pm
Thursday 23rd August

This month features the Scatterlings poets - Sue Rose, Geraldine Paine and Mark Holihan - and music from singer-songwriter Steve Antoni. Plus open mic.

Tickets £4.00/£2.00

To book a floorspot in advance, or for more information, contact Alison on 020 8977 4610 or email alison-hill@blueyonder.co.uk

Poets' Cafe in Reading: Friday 17th August

Friday 17th August – Poets’ Café, South Street Arts Centre, South Street, Reading. 8pm for 8.30pm. £6/£4.

AF HARROLD SAYS:
"This month’s Poets’ Café is a bit special in that we don’t have a special guest coming from afar to interrupt our open mic extravaganza with their poems – this month, as a summer treat, the whole night is to be given over to poets who’ve come armed with a little handful of poems getting up and reading them. Also, of course, it’s given over to people who want to come and hear just what it is that makes Reading such a great place to be writing and hearing poetry in – because there’s always plenty of good stuff that we only ever catch a glimpse of each month … this time come and shine, poets of Reading and environs."

PUREandGOODandRIGHT in Leamington Spa this Sunday August 19th

From Sean Kelly, MC at P&G&R in Leamington Spa, complete with capitals and exclamation marks!

PUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place in Leamington Spa, with a regular THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH slot at THE FOX, on Clarendon Avenue.
We have great STAR ACTS - every month!
And every event is an opportunity for YOU to come along and perform your poetry!

Our next event is on SUNDAY 19th AUGUST (starting at 7.30pm prompt, get there early!) at the FOX, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa CV32 4RZ.

Our VERY special guest in August is our irregular favourite, BIRMINGHAM's POET LAUREATE: SPOZ!

Sunday 19th August
The Fox, Leamington Spa
7.15pm
£3 entrance (?)

Poets Anonymous in Croydon

Poets Anonymous meeting

Primary Room, United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon, Surrey
Saturday 11th August
2.30pm

This is an open poetry meeting where you can bring your own poems to read or just listen and enjoy. £1.50 entrance fee.

Contact peter@poetsanon.org.uk for more information. (Better check date in particular; looking back at the POF archives, it's been held on a Friday in the past, so the date may be wrong? Ed)

3rd London Poetry Festival: THIS COMING WEEKEND

The 3rd London Poetry Festival is almost here!

Begins this weekend, 10-13 August.

3rd London Poetry Festival 2007
August 10-13 (Friday-Monday)
Waterloo St John's Church
Waterloo Road
London SE1

Tickets: £7/£5 Cons
http://www.londonpoetryfestival.com

The Third London Poetry Festival 2007 is taking place August 10-13 in London and will be inaugurated by the Right Honourable Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister for Transport (Former Minister for London).

The London Poetry Festival grew out of The Poet's Letter Magazine Poetry Performance and Live Music Series that started in March 2005 at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden. Our Performance Series is now in its third year and still growing in strength.

3rd Festival Residencies have been offered to: Briony Dennis: Hampshire, Inua Ellams: Nunhead, Southwark, London, Juli Jeana: Southbank, Southwark, London, Tom Chivers: East London and Tricia Peak: Dover

This year the Festival has a European Poetry Night (Sunday, 12th August) to which many European poets are expected.Confirmed poets are: Tomas Sanchez Santiago, Dr Natalia Carbajos and Gracia Iglesia (Spain).

Every evening the Festival will end with live music by Kerry-Fleur Schleifer and Glasgow based group Exman.

Apart from performances by etablished and emerging and young English poets there is an OPEN MIC Session every evening to offer opportunities to newcomers to perform their works.

Contact Details: Festival Director: Munayem Mayenin (Poet in Residence at Southwark
Libraries)

editor@poetsletter.com
contact@londonpoetryfestival.com

Tel: 07935 791 607
http://stores.lulu.com/mmayenin
http://www.facebook.com/p/Munayem_Mayenin/729390078
http://www.poetsletter.com
http://www.londonpoetryfestival.com

University Project seeks Poetry Recordings & Information

Dear Jane Holland

I recently discovered your blogspot 'Poets on Fire'. It's a fantastic site and resource which, to me, seems to be doing a really important (much needed) job in fielding a lot of the scattered information on poetry events into one place.

With your extensive knowledge of various contemporary performance scenes, I wondered if you might be able to help me. I am trying to locate recordings of poets reading their work for a digitisation project.

I am working on a collaborative British Academy project on the history of British poetry performance, based at Southampton University. The aim of the project is to study changes in performance style in poetry readings, and their relation to the history of poetry over the last five decades. As part of this, we have constructed a research resource -- an online database of extracts from live poetry readings from 1960 to the present day, which is freely available to the public at http://poetry.eprints.org . We have been liasing with the British Library Sound Archive, Morden Tower, Apples & Snakes poetry promoters, and various poets and individuals with private collections of recordings.

Before finalising the design and officially launching the site, we are trying to expand the amount of material represented on it. In particular, we are trying to increase the number of recordings from the 1960s, but also from the late nineties, c.1995-2000.

Do you know of anyone or any organisation who may have live recordings of poetry readings, who I could contact? We would only want to make brief extracts from particular readings (most of the poets in the collection are represented by 2-3 single poems) and we would clear permissions for any material before using it online.

If you could help in any way, I would be incredibly grateful. Keep up the good work with the site!

Thanks for your time, and best wishes
Victoria Sheppard
(Please leave comments below if you'd like to contact Victoria)

Luke Wright's Poetry Party at the Fringe! THIS WEEKEND

Luke Wright’s Poetry Party

Rising poetry superstar throws free two-day party.
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August, 12pm – 12am

Top poetic entertainment featuring John Hegley, Murray Lachlan Young, Lemn Sissay, Francesca Beard, Martin Newell, Aisle16, Roddy Lumsden, Tim Turnbull, Kat Francois and many more. www.easttoedinburgh.co.uk

Box Office: 07790 235 963. Free Entrance.
Edinburgh
Venue 308, Dr Roberts’ Magic Bus, The Meadows, Edinburgh.

'The best venue at The Fringe' The Guardian

More Poejazzi Zaniness: TONIGHT Tuesday August 7th

MESSAGE FROM POEJAZZI RE:

PoeJazzi Edinburgh Preview!

Tuesday August 7th, 6pm doors open; start 8pm prompt.
Volupte Bar, No 9 Norwich Street, off Furnival Street, EC4A 1EJ
(Close to Chancery Lane tube , after McDonalds)
£10 ticket reservations: please call 0207 8311622
or email lordgokal@hotmail.com
leaving name, mobile number and number of seats you'd like

Spoken word and music night with a killer line-up that will see queues of cool peeps right down the street... (TimeOut No.1 Critic's Choice, January 2007 AND Listed among 101 Things To Do In London 2007!)

What?
It's PoeJazzi. after a stellar sold-out performance featuring Poeticat and Drum and Flute, someone mentioned it would be impossible to beat July's show. We laughed. Hard. A lot. Then said 'Done.

Who's On?
Elizabeth Amato: (Poet: myspace.com/eamato ) She came, she saw, she astounded the Poetry cafe last year. PiP love geniuses, so we kept in touch with the american... and now she's back in london, to deliver a preview to her forthcoming show in Edinburgh, which could possibly be the poetry show. TO END ALL EDINBURGH POETRY SHOWS! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Terms and Conditions Apply. Evil Laugh Not INcluded In Preview.)

Abraham Gibson: (Poet) London Transport Laurate, One of the funniest and insightful men in poetry today, and a PiP personal favourite. Come hear some beautiful love poetry, and council tales about the coolest elderly ladies you will ever meet.

Heidi Vogel: (Acoustic: myspace.com/heidilevo ) Every now and then, you see an act so outstanding, a presence so confident and mesmerisingly awesome. Heidi recently decimated an Acoustic Soul night down south. We expect the same at Poe. She Is Not To Be Missed.

Julie Mckee: (Jazz: myspace.com/juliemckeesinger) A standout moment at the July Poe was Julie's five minutes on the Piano. Distinctive and affectionate, we bring her in for a full set. She will wow you.

N.B: Some spellings have been corrected here to protect those who might otherwise have thought that was the correct spelling. I may have missed some. Enjoy. Ed.

Hammer & Tongue Summer Cabaret in Oxford: TONIGHT Tuesday 7th August

HAMMER AND TONGUE PRESENTS:

If music (and poetry) be the food of love, come and taste our

LATE SUMMER JAM

Tuesday 7th of August, 6.30-10.30 p.m

Top notch poetry and music and top nosh at the Vaults featuring:

Lucy English
Hippy chick, love mother, goddess, gardener- and poet!

With musical support from three of Oxford's finest:
Barnabas
A truly unique musician- don't miss the chance to see him live!

Jean Bramley
Spectacular jazz and blues belter all the way from South Africa

Ed Pope
Twinkling tangential tirades from the Pope of Oxford

Hosted by Sophia Blackwell

The Vaults and Garden Cafe
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Radcliffe Square

Tickets (with dinner) £12
Food served from 6.30 p.m.

To reserve tickets, please email Sophiablackwell@gmail.com or call 01865 200 550

PUREandGOODandRIGHT in Leamington Spa: Sunday 19th August

Now for a message from Sean Kelly, MC at P&G&R in Leamington Spa, complete with capitals!

PUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place in Leamington Spa, with a regular THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH slot at THE FOX, on Clarendon Avenue.
We have great STAR ACTS - every month!
And every event is an opportunity for YOU to come along and perform your poetry!!

Our next event is on SUNDAY 19th AUGUST (starting at 7.30pm prompt, get there early!!!) at the FOX, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa CV32 4RZ.
Our VERY special guest in August is our irregular favourite, BIRMINGHAM's POET LAUREATE: SPOZ!

Alison Brackenbury at Buzzwords, Cheltenham: Sunday 5th August

BUZZWORDS in Cheltenham

THIS SUNDAY, 5th August
Upstairs at the Beehive, Montpellier Villas, Cheltenham

Popular poetry night in Cheltenham with open mic session and guest poet. This month sees well-known and established poet Alison Brackenbury performing her work, standing in for Greg Mahrer. Organised by Angela France.

7.30pm - workshop led by your host
8.30pm onwards - open mic and guest poet Alison Brackenbury

*

Salt Margins @ The Whitechapel Gallery, London: Thursday September 20th

Since I forgot to post up this week's Salt in the Margins event at the Whitechapel Gallery, here by way of apology for that oversight is advance warning of next month's Salt/PITM poetry line-up.

Salt in the Margins

Thursday 20 September, 7pm
Free entrance

Salt poets Eleanor Rees (Andraste's Hair) and Melanie Challenger (Galatea) have both been nominated for this year's Forward Prize for Best First Collection. Which is reason enough to come and hear them read. Like Eleanor, Chris McCabe is a Salt poet and a Liverpudlian. His collection The Hutton Inquiry is a powerful examination of language under pressure in the build-up to the Iraq war. Musical refreshment is provided by the excellent Songdog, led by playwright and Becketphile Lyndon Morgan.

Organised by Salt Publishing, in assoc. with Penned in the Margins
Free, no booking necessary

Hammer & Tongue Summer Cabarets at the Vaults

HAMMER AND TONGUE PRESENTS:

If music (and poetry) be the food of love, come and taste our

LATE SUMMER JAM

Tuesday 7th of August, 6.30-10.30 p.m

Top notch poetry and music and top nosh at the Vaults featuring:

Lucy English
Hippy chick, love mother, goddess, gardener- and poet!

With musical support from three of Oxford's finest:
Barnabas
A truly unique musician- don't miss the chance to see him live!

Jean Bramley
Spectacular jazz and blues belter all the way from South Africa

Ed Pope
Twinkling tangential tirades from the Pope of Oxford

Hosted by Sophia Blackwell

The Vaults and Garden Cafe
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Radcliffe Square

Tickets (with dinner) £12
Food served from 6.30 p.m.

To reserve tickets, please email Sophiablackwell@gmail.com or call 01865 200 550

Poets' Cafe in Reading: Friday 17th August

Poets’ Café in Reading

South Street Arts Centre, South Street, Reading.
Friday 17th August
8pm doors.
£6/£4.

While other events take a summer holiday Reading’s premier regular poetry event doesn’t know the meaning of taking a holiday. So, when Christmas comes round, you might think about buying Poets’ Café a dictionary. Or alternately you might build a time machine and come back to this August’s Poets’ Café Open Mic Special – we have no guest this month, just as many of our own poems as we can fit in. So come and share, come and listen and come and stare at people. What more could you want? Hosted and organised by me.

From: AF HARROLD